To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

201
matter, and Bellamy took his seat in
Congress. 28
African American Reaction
In the weeks after the riot,
Wilmington’s black churches looked for
answers while white congregations rejoiced.
African American minister J. Allen Kirk
noted that while a funeral was being
performed at Central Baptist Church, the
building was surrounded by whites who
thought Kirk was in attendance. Kirk
explained that the whites had visited
ministers and other church leaders on the
Saturday following the riot to find out what
sermons would be preached on Sunday.
28 A list of contested elections filed in the House
Documents of the fifty- sixth Congress listed the
calendar of filings for the Dockery v Bellamy case.
However, in 1901, another House Document, A
Historical and Legal Digest of All the Contested
Election Cases in the House of Representatives, does
not list the Dockery vs Bellamy case as being heard
by a Committee on Elections in the Fifty- sixth
Congress. Further, John D. Bellamy, in his
autobiography, admitted that Dockery requested that
Congress not permit him to take his seat in the House
, but, because of fraternal ties with many influential
Washington insiders, among them Attorney General
Griggs, he was able to escape investigation. An
article in the Wilmington Morning Star in July 1899
indicated that Dockery’s representative was in
Washington filing papers on the case. The paper also
stated that Republicans were focusing their attention
on contesting the Bellamy election as well as
assisting in contesting the election of Virginia
Democrat, William Rhea. According to the Digest of
Contested Election Cases, Rhea’s contest was heard
by a committee who ruled in his favor. United States
House of Representatives, House Documents, “ Letter
from the Clerk of the House transmitting a List of the
Contested Election Cases in the Fifty- Sixth
Congress,” Document No. 23, 56th Congress, 1st
Session, December 5, 1899; Chester H. Rowell, A
Historical and Legal Digest of All the Contested
Election Cases in the House of Representatives of the
United States from the First to the Fifty- Sixth
Congress, 1789- 1901, House Document No. 510, 56th
Congress, 2nd Session, 1901, 581- 2; Bellamy,
Memoirs of an Octogenarian, 139- 141.
Kirk, from a distance, and others in
Wilmington sought to persuade blacks to
“ try by all means to keep the peace… ever
trusting God.” 29
Kirk realized that the black ministers
were leaders in the community and that
whites planned removal of the ministers
from the city to assure that the blacks who
remained would be “ better and obedient
servants.” 30 African American church
leaders approached white leaders and were
told that their services would not be
interrupted. The sermons given on the
Sunday following the riot contained
elements of acquiescence and acceptance of
their congregants’ new situation as second-class,
endangered, citizens. One
correspondent who begged the president to
interfere on her behalf informed him that “ to
day ( Sunday) we dare not go to our places of
worship.” 31
At Central Baptist Church, Pastor A.
S. Dunston urged his congregation to “ let
the past bury the past” because “ what is
done cannot be undone.” He wished for his
followers to “ be still, be quiet” and “ all will
be well.” At St. Stephen’s A. M. E. Church,
home to one of the city’s largest
congregations, Pastor J. T. Lee had fled the
city, and the sermon was given by Deacon
L. B. Kennedy. Deacon Kennedy’s sermon
warned his flock to “ watch and pray that ye
enter not into temptation” as they did their
duty to “ obey God’s laws,” and to “ do as the
authorities direct.” Following a similar strain
of thought, Pastor E. R. Bennett of St.
Mark’s Protestant Episcopal Church
reminded members to obey the law and
Jesus’ instruction to “[ R] ender unto Caesar
the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the
29 Kirk, Statement of Facts, 11, 15- 16.
30 Kirk, Statement of Facts, 11, 15- 16.
31 Unidentified author to President William
McKinley, November 13, 1898, General Records of
the Department of Justice, National Archives,
Washington, D. C.

201
matter, and Bellamy took his seat in
Congress. 28
African American Reaction
In the weeks after the riot,
Wilmington’s black churches looked for
answers while white congregations rejoiced.
African American minister J. Allen Kirk
noted that while a funeral was being
performed at Central Baptist Church, the
building was surrounded by whites who
thought Kirk was in attendance. Kirk
explained that the whites had visited
ministers and other church leaders on the
Saturday following the riot to find out what
sermons would be preached on Sunday.
28 A list of contested elections filed in the House
Documents of the fifty- sixth Congress listed the
calendar of filings for the Dockery v Bellamy case.
However, in 1901, another House Document, A
Historical and Legal Digest of All the Contested
Election Cases in the House of Representatives, does
not list the Dockery vs Bellamy case as being heard
by a Committee on Elections in the Fifty- sixth
Congress. Further, John D. Bellamy, in his
autobiography, admitted that Dockery requested that
Congress not permit him to take his seat in the House
, but, because of fraternal ties with many influential
Washington insiders, among them Attorney General
Griggs, he was able to escape investigation. An
article in the Wilmington Morning Star in July 1899
indicated that Dockery’s representative was in
Washington filing papers on the case. The paper also
stated that Republicans were focusing their attention
on contesting the Bellamy election as well as
assisting in contesting the election of Virginia
Democrat, William Rhea. According to the Digest of
Contested Election Cases, Rhea’s contest was heard
by a committee who ruled in his favor. United States
House of Representatives, House Documents, “ Letter
from the Clerk of the House transmitting a List of the
Contested Election Cases in the Fifty- Sixth
Congress,” Document No. 23, 56th Congress, 1st
Session, December 5, 1899; Chester H. Rowell, A
Historical and Legal Digest of All the Contested
Election Cases in the House of Representatives of the
United States from the First to the Fifty- Sixth
Congress, 1789- 1901, House Document No. 510, 56th
Congress, 2nd Session, 1901, 581- 2; Bellamy,
Memoirs of an Octogenarian, 139- 141.
Kirk, from a distance, and others in
Wilmington sought to persuade blacks to
“ try by all means to keep the peace… ever
trusting God.” 29
Kirk realized that the black ministers
were leaders in the community and that
whites planned removal of the ministers
from the city to assure that the blacks who
remained would be “ better and obedient
servants.” 30 African American church
leaders approached white leaders and were
told that their services would not be
interrupted. The sermons given on the
Sunday following the riot contained
elements of acquiescence and acceptance of
their congregants’ new situation as second-class,
endangered, citizens. One
correspondent who begged the president to
interfere on her behalf informed him that “ to
day ( Sunday) we dare not go to our places of
worship.” 31
At Central Baptist Church, Pastor A.
S. Dunston urged his congregation to “ let
the past bury the past” because “ what is
done cannot be undone.” He wished for his
followers to “ be still, be quiet” and “ all will
be well.” At St. Stephen’s A. M. E. Church,
home to one of the city’s largest
congregations, Pastor J. T. Lee had fled the
city, and the sermon was given by Deacon
L. B. Kennedy. Deacon Kennedy’s sermon
warned his flock to “ watch and pray that ye
enter not into temptation” as they did their
duty to “ obey God’s laws,” and to “ do as the
authorities direct.” Following a similar strain
of thought, Pastor E. R. Bennett of St.
Mark’s Protestant Episcopal Church
reminded members to obey the law and
Jesus’ instruction to “[ R] ender unto Caesar
the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the
29 Kirk, Statement of Facts, 11, 15- 16.
30 Kirk, Statement of Facts, 11, 15- 16.
31 Unidentified author to President William
McKinley, November 13, 1898, General Records of
the Department of Justice, National Archives,
Washington, D. C.